Attending a hearing in-person

Arrive early and report to reception

If you are asked to attend a hearing in-person, you will be told the date and time that you need to arrive at the venue in advance. Please allow for travel delays and aim to arrive at least half an hour early.

You can find directions to our building and information about nearby train stations and bus stops on our Contact Us page.

Arriving early will give you a chance to speak to the case presenter (the person presenting the case on behalf of the General Dental Council), and see the hearing room before you give your evidence.

When you arrive, please report to the reception desk. A member of staff will direct you to a witness waiting room.

Waiting to give evidence

Witnesses are asked to wait in the witness waiting room until they‘re called to give evidence. Witnesses (except for expert witnesses) are not allowed to sit in the hearing before giving their evidence.

Where possible, we will inform you at the start of the day the likely running order and will let you know when you’re likely to be called. You may have to wait a long time, so we recommend that you bring something to read.

An ‘in camera’ sign on the hearing room door means you’re not allowed to enter the room because the committee is considering a matter in private.

Not discussing your evidence

While waiting, you should not discuss the case or your evidence with anyone, including any other witnesses waiting with you.

This important rule is to make sure that evidence given by each witness is their own account of what happened. If you discuss the case with another witness, this might affect the proceedings.

Supporting those with a disability or other needs

If you have a disability, communication difficulties or other specific needs, please inform your point of contact (legal team) or the Witness Support Officer before the hearing so the necessary arrangements can be made, such as providing an interpreter or information in braille. Our venue has wheelchair access and induction loops for those with hearing aids. If you have a medical condition which means you need more frequent comfort breaks, please let us know in advance, so we can make arrangements for additional breaks so you do not have to say so in a public hearing.

Facilities at the venue and nearby

We provide tea, coffee, water and biscuits. We do not provide any other food or drinks for witnesses. There are no restaurant facilities at our hearing venue so you will be required to purchase your own food and refreshments.

We can provide information about local shops and cafés on the day.

There is free WiFi at the venue.

Remote attendance at a hearing

If you are attending a remote hearing, the GDC’s legal team will tell you what time you need to be ready to start giving your evidence.

We will invite you to take part in a Microsoft Teams test call a few days before you are due to give your evidence. The test call will be carried out by a member of our staff. We carry out these test calls to assist all participants involved in a hearing.

Bringing children to the hearing venue

Please do not bring children to the hearing if you can avoid doing so. If you really have no other option, you should bring some toys or other entertainment for children, as there are no suitable facilities at the venue. Please contact the Witness Support Officer if you think you need to bring children with you, so we can discuss and consider alternative options.

If you bring children, they will need to be with an adult at all times. This means bringing another adult with you to look after the children while you’re giving evidence. You will only be able to claim the additional adult’s reasonable expenses in exceptional circumstances (e.g. if you need to bring your baby with you because you’re breastfeeding).

Our staff cannot take responsibility for children, even for short periods of time.

What does a hearing room look like and who will be present?

Hearings are held within large rooms with tables and chairs arranged in a particular order. The image below shows the typical set-up of a hearings room. The numbers indicate who sits where within a hearing.

1. Chair
   The chair will be an experienced panel member who runs the proceedings to make sure the hearing is fair.
2. Legal Adviser
   The legal adviser is an experienced barrister or solicitor who advises the committee. The legal adviser does not play any role in the committee’s decision-making.
3. Committee Secretary
   The committee secretary will be responsible for making sure that the hearing runs appropriately. They may become involved in helping the committee settle witness related issues during the course of the hearing. The committee secretary does not play any role in the committee’s decision-making.
4. Panel Members
   The panel members are all independent of the GDC and completely impartial. They will include at least one dental professional and one person who is not a dental professional.
5. Witness
   This is where a witness will sit when called to give evidence.
6. Dental professional and their lawyer
   The dental professional’s lawyer is usually a barrister or solicitor and is sometimes referred to as ‘defence counsel’. This lawyer will ask the witnesses questions. Sometimes a dental professional will not have a lawyer and will ask questions themselves.
7. General Dental Council lawyer
   The GDC’s lawyer will be a barrister or solicitor, and is sometimes referred to as ‘the case presenter’. This lawyer will ask the witnesses questions.
8. Dental professional’s legal team
9. General Dental Council legal team
   The legal teams are responsible for preparing the case for us. This is usually one lawyer, but they may be accompanied by a paralegal or legal assistant.
10. Hearings support officer
    The hearings support officer will inform you when it is your turn to give evidence. While you are waiting, you can ask the hearings support officer for help if you need anything. If you leave the waiting area for any reason, let the hearings support officer know.
11. Members of the public (including journalists)
    If the hearing is open to the public, members of the public and the press sit here. If you have brought someone with you, they can sit here. The witness support officer may sit here if they are needed at the hearing.

Key things to remember before the hearing

Please check off the following before the date of the hearing:

• Make sure you know exactly where the venue is, the start time (aim to arrive early) and the format of the hearing (in-person, remote or hybrid).
• If you are attending a remote hearing, we will test the technology with you in advance. Tell us if you experience any problems, so we can try to resolve them.
• If you are attending a remote hearing, please let us know if you are experiencing any technical difficulties. It is important we are made aware of this, so we can try and resolve the difficulties.
• Read your witness statement before the hearing to refresh your memory and bring it with you so you can review it while you’re waiting to give your evidence.
• Do not discuss the case with anyone before you give evidence.
• Have your reading glasses with you if you wear them.
• Turn your mobile phone off while you are in the hearing room or joining the hearing remotely.
• Speak to your point of contact or the Witness Support Officer if you have any concerns or questions about the hearing.